Folded container



Oct. 10, 1961 H. M. CHASE 3,003,678

FOLDED CONTAINER Filed July 20. 1959 INVENTOR. HAL M CHASE A T TOP/VEV United States Patent 3,003,678 FOLDED CONTAINERv Hal M. Chase, Los Altos, Calif., assignor to Vacu-Dry Company, Oakland, Calif., a corporation of California Filed July 20, 1959, Ser. No. 828,090

2 Claims. (Cl. 229-39) .This invention relatesgenerally to folded containers and particularly to open=top containers folded from'precut and prescored blanks of rigid or semi-rigid sheet material.

The present invention comprises a flat foldable container blank cut from sheet material which is prescored for easy assembly into an open-top container. The assembled container is used alone for handling solids or is used in combination with a flexible bag-shaped liner so as to make the assembly liquid-tight.

One object of this invention is to provide a folded container for handling both solids and liquids which may be assembled irom a flat blank without additional fastening means.

A further object of this invention is to provide a mountable handled container which occupies a minimum amount of space when disassembled but which has substantial volumetric capacity when assembled for use.

A further object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive disposable folded container for emergency use in holding hot foods, beverages and the like.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those familiar with this art upon a consideration of the following description and accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view in reduced scale of the precut and prescored blank from which the container is assembled;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the assembled container;

FIG. 3 is a view of the bottom of the assembled container;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the container handle taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled container with the liner in place for carrying a liquid.

Referring now to the drawings wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to the same part throughout the several figures, FIG. 1 illustrates a flat precut and prescored blank from which the folded container is assembled. The blank, referred to as 1, is generally symmetrical about a scored center fold line 2. The blank 1 is divided by two additional scored fold lines, 3 and 4, into four equal rectangular panels 5, 6, 7 and 8 which ultimately form the sides of the assembled container.

The bottom of the container, as is more clearly illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, is formed from four flaps 9, 10, 11 and 12. Two of these flaps 9 and 10 are immediately adjacent side panels 7 and 8, respectively, and, as shown in FIG. 3, are scored along line 13 to fold inwardly to form a part of the bottom of the container. Each of flaps 9 and 10 has a hooked tab 14, which pierces a corresponding slot cut in the similar flaps 11 and 12 located immediately adjacent side panels 5 and 6, respectively. Flaps 11 and 12 are also scored along a fold line 13 common with that of flaps 9 and 10 and fold inwardly to complete the bottom of the container as shown in FIG. 3. The bottom is prevented from pulling apart by the hooks of tabs 14, which engage the body of the corresponding flap, 11 or 12, adjacent the slots 15.

The container is assembled by first folding the blank 1 along fold line 2. Next the side panels are formed into a hollow prism by folding along fold lines 3 and 4. The bottom flaps are folded inwardly along fold line 13 and 1 -2 e V V secured by the hooked tabs '14. The container body illustrated herein thus assumes a diamond-shaped cross-section and has a single vertical seam between side panels 5 ands. i

The vertical seamof the container body is secured by means of two barbed tabs, one, '16, carried on the outer edge of side panel 5 and '17 similarly carried on side panel8, each of which pierces a corresponding slot in the adjacent side panel to close the body. Tab 16 pierces the slot 18 in side panel 8 and tab '17 pierces the corresponding slot 19 in side panel 5. The tabs are each provided with barbs 20 which prevent them from pulling out under the weight of material carried within the container.

The container is also provided with a handle formed by two generally U-shaped handle members, 21 extending outwardly from side panel 5 and 22 extending outwardly from side panel 8. Upon assembly of the container body these handle members are positioned immediately adjacent one another. Then an extended flap 23 carried on handle member 22 is folded around handle member 21, as more clearly appears in FIGS. 2 and 4, to secure members 21 and 22 together so as to provide a strong handle. This flap 23 is merely the inner portion of the U partially cut from the blank 1 to form handle member 22.

A recession is cut from the upper edge of sides 6 and 7 to provide a pouring lip 24 in the assembled container opposite the handle.

The container may be used as illustrated in FIG. 2 to carry solids or may be made liquid-tight by inserting therein a bag-shaped liner 25, as illustrated in FIG. 5, fabricated from flexible material such as polyethylene plastic or the like so that the assembly can be used for carrying liquids.

The blank 1 may be cut from various sheet materials including various paper stocks or sheetmetal, but is preferably fabricated from heavy paper stock coated with wax or other waterproofing material to prevent the container from becoming soft and weak when wet.

The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom, for modifications will be obvious to those skilled in this art.

I claim:

1. A foldable container blank for emergency use comprising a generally rectangular body having three parallel body fold lines dividing said body into four rectangular panels; a first pair of bottom flaps, one carried on the bottom edge of each of the outside two of said panels; a second pair of bottom flaps, one carried on the bottom edge of each of the inside two of said panels, each of said pairs of bottom flaps being foldable along a common fold line lying perpendicular to said body fold lines and each pair including one flap having a protruding hooked portion and the other flap having a corresponding slot for mating with said hooked portion; a pair of handle members, one disposed along the outside edge of each of the outside two of said panels and adjacent the top of said panels; a flap carried on one of said handle members for securing said members together; a pair of barbed tabs, one disposed along the outside edge of each of the outside two of said panels; and a pair of corresponding slots each carried in one of the outside two of said panels for mating with one of said barbed tabs.

2. A foldable container for emergency use assembled from a flat blank of sheet material comprising a generally rectangular body having three parallel body fold lines dividing said body into four rectangular panels; a first pair of bottom flaps, one carried on the bottom edge of each of the outside two of said panels; a second pair of bottom flaps, one carried on the bottom edge of each of the inside two of said panels, each of said pairs of bottom flaps being foldable along -a common fold line lying perpendicular to saidbody fold lines and each pair including one flap having a protruding hooked portion and the other flap having a corresponding slot for mating with said hooked portion; a pair of handle mem-V bers, one disposed along the outside of each of the one side two of said panels and adjacent the top of said panels; a flap carried on one of said handle members for securing said members'together; a pair of barbed tabs,

one disposed along the outside edge of each of the out 10 side two of said panels; and a pair of corresponding slots each carried in one of the outside two of said panels for mating with one of said bar-bed tabs.

UNITED STATES PATENTS Hogan Feb. 28, 1905 Bendelari Mar. 19, 1912 Ayres Nov. 20, 1923 V Inman Apr. 18, 1942 FORE IGN PATENTS Great Baa-a "Nov. 19, 1925 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1952 

